Brake-beam safety hanger



Sept. 25, 1928.

J. WILSON BRAKE BEAM SAFEfY HANGER Filed July 21, 1926 Fli .JZw/b W w lit) Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,ss5,474 PATENT OFFICE.

JACK WILSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL DRAFT GEAR ATTACHMENT 00., A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BRAKE -BEAM SAFETY HANGER.

Application filed July 21,

This invention relates to safety brake beam hangers for railway cars and the like.

)ne of the objects of the invention is the provision of new and improved means for supporting brake beams and preventing the same from falling beneath the car wheels should the conventional supporting mechanism become broken, or the beams become in any way accidentally detached from their supports.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved safety hanger with new and improved means for securing the same in position beneath the brake beams.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a safety hanger for brake beams that is simple and rugged in construction. cheap to manufacture, easily assembled, reliable and efficient in use, and one in which the parts are so interlocked that the same are not likely to become misplaced or detached.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a railway truck showing the invention in position thereon, with parts removed for the sake of clearness of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a spring plank showing the invention in position thereon;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a portion of a spring plank showing the invention in position thereon, with parts broken away;

Fig. at is a sectionat right angles to that shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the attaching key.

In present railway construction the brake beams and shoes therefor are supported by hangers or links from the'trucks. These hangers are subjected to severestrains when the brakes are applied because of the friction between the contacting surfaces and the force exerted by the rotating wheels. Even when the brakes are released the continual vibration incident to the movement of the car tends to cause the hangers and supporting members to crystalize, whereby they are easily broken by the great weight of the beams and shoes. As a result of one or more of these causes, it is not unusual for some portion of the supporting mechanism to become broken, thus permitting the brake beam to drop, and unless means he provided for supporting it, the beam may constructed that the means for attaching and securing the same in position, such as pins or bolts, soon become broken or worn away by the continua-l vibration of the parts, and per-' 'mit the displacement of the device.

The present invention contemplates the use of interlocking means and wedge members for holding the parts in assembled position, and

avoids the use of pins or bolts. except in a minor capacity. 7

Reference now being had to the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate the same parts throughout the description, the numeral lO'indica-tes a railway truck having the side frame 11 and the wheels 12, as is common in such constructions. The brake beams 13 having the shoes 14 thereon are supported from the truck frame by the links 16 in the usual manner. The truck frame is also provided with the spring plank 17 which in the present instance is in the form of a channel having the upstanding flanges 18 and the connecting web 19.

Since the details of the truck constitute no part of the present invention it is'not thought necessary to illustrate or further describe the same. The specific form of the truck is immaterial, since the invention is adapted to be used on trucks of various types or designs.

The safety hangers comprising the supporting bars 21 and 22 are adapted to be supported beneath the spring plank 17 and extend transversely thereof at opposite ends of said plank. These bars are of suflicient length to extend beneath the brake beams and beyond the ad jacent peripheries of the wheels, whereby the wheels will prevent the beams from sliding oif the ends of the bars should the brake beam supports become accidentally broken and the vided with an open slot, that is, the upper 7 portion is in the form of a hook 2 1 for engag ing over one of. the flanges of the spring board 17. The lower portion of the hanger is provided with'an angular slot through which the supporting bar is adapted to engage. This slot is preferably closed and T-shape in order that the bar itself may engage either the bottom of the slot or the shoulders 26 formed, by the slot, for supporting said bar.

Bymaking the slot T-shape-it will receive either an angle or T-ba'r, and support the same from the bottom of the slot or from said shoulders independently of any pins or bolts. "Suitable-means are provided for preventing movement of the hanger members longitudinally of the spring plank 17'. v It is the usual practice in such constructions to provide bolts orrivets which extend through the "hook-shaped member and flange of the spring members 24."

Means are provided for preventing longitudinal movement of the bars 21 and 22relative to the hangers. Preferably wedge means are'employed for this, purpose, These wedge members will notonly prevent longitudinal movement of said bars but will wedge the parts together and thereby not only prevent rattling but also prevent wear of theparts duetoithe continued vibrationof the sup ports. As shown, a key or wedge element 29 is adapted to be inserted in each slot 25 of the hanger members. Each key is in thoform of a wedge having one side rabheted as at 31 to form the shoulder 32. One of the shoulders 26 of each slot 25is rabbeted as at 33 to receive the shoulder 32, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The slot 25 of the hanger is also enlarged as at 3 1 to receive the flange portion 35 ofthe key 29. The bars 21 and 22 are provided with openings which are adapted to aline-with corresponding openings 36 through the hanger members 23 for receiving a cotter pin, bolt-or other fastening means 37. l The flange portion 35 of the key elementis provided with a series of apertures 38 through which said pin is adapted toextend when the parts are assembled. By providing a'series of holes in the key element proper adjustments may be made and the parts rigidly locked together.. The upper corner opposite the rabbet on the key element may be beveled in order not to interfere with the insertion of said element. 7

H In assembling the device the hanger members 23 are attached over the vflanges. 18 with the projections 28 in engagement with the notches 27, the bars 21 and22 are slid in position in theslots 25 with their ends beneath the bra. re beams, the wedges are then inserted and driven home, after which the pins or bolts 37 are inserted. The wedge leinents 29 for each of the bars 21 and 22 are inserted from opposit directions whereby the tendency of the bar to move either forwardly or backwardly due to its inertia in the stopping, bumping and sudden starting of the car, will cause one or the other ofsaid wedge elements to become wedged against the bar thereby gripping the same and preventing its movement through the hanger members.

By means of the above construction only the pins 37 are employed and they are merely to prevent the wedge-elements from backing off. The parts are held imposition without the aid of these pins and consequently there is little or no wear on the same, with a consequent elimination of the danger of their breaking'or wearing in two. The hanger members will be prevented from moving along the flange 18 by the notch and projection, and the notch and projection are held from becoming detached by the engagement of the web of the bar 21 or 22 with the bottom of the slot, and also by'the wedge element 29; The bars 21 and 22 are prevented from moving longitudinally by the wedge elements 29. r

It is thought from the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that the construction and operation of my device will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that various changesin size, shape, proportion and details of construction may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the appended claims.

, I claim as my invention: H

1. In a railway truck, a pair of brake beams, a spring plank having upsta-nding flanges provided with aligned notches, a pair of hangers having hook-shaped extensions ensaid upstanding flanges and provided with projections for engaging said notches, said hangers being-provided with aligned angular closed slots beneath said spring plank and adjacent thereto, a straight bar angular in cross section slidably mounted in said al igned slots beneath said plank and conforming to the shape of said slots, said bar being supported by said hangers in close proximity to said plank, whereby said bar is adapted to engage said plank and the outer end of Said slot to prevent the disengagement ofsaid projections from said notches, and means engaging said hanger and bar for preventing longitudinal movement of said bar through said slots.

2. A safety hanger for brake beams comprising a pair of hanger members having hook-shaped upper ends and having angular slots in their lower portions, an angular supporting bar adapted to extend through said slots, wedge elements for wedging said bar against the marginal wall of said slot, and means for securing said wedges in position.

In a safety hanger for railway brakes, a hanger member having an open slot in its upper end adapted to engage a flange of a spring board, the lower portion of said hanger being provided with an angular slot having an enlargement at one side thereol forming a rabbet for receiving a wedging element.

6L. In a safety hanger for railway brakes, a hanger member having a hook-shaped upper end, a downward projection within said hook portion, the lower portion of said memher being apertured and provided with a closed T-shaped slot, said slot being provided with an enlargement for receiving a wedge element.

5. In combination, a spring board having upwardly extending flanges provided with notches in their upper edges, a plurality of hanger members having hook-shaped portions provided with projections for engaging said flanges and notches, respectively, said member being provided with angular slots, and supporting bars angular in cross-section for engaging said angular slots, and friction elements for frictionallv holding said bars within said slots.

6. In combination, a railway truck, a pair of brake beams suspended from said truck, a spring board having upwardly extending flanges carried by said truck said flanges being provided with notches, a pair of hanger members having hooked portions for engaging said flanges at opposite ends of said board, and having projections for engaging said notches, supporting bars, angular in crosssection, extending through angular slots in the lower portion of said members, a wedge member in the slot of eachhanger member in engagement with said supporting bars, the wedges for each bar extending in opposite directions, and means for holding said wedge members in position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JACK WILSON. 

